I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s reading books about the dinosaur “orthodoxy.” According to this traditional view, the dinos died out at the end of the Cretaceous because their beloved swamps dried up and the air became too cool. But the new conditions were perfect for us quick-thinking Mammalia, so we took over, along […]
Editor’s note: Today’s post was written by Monica L. McHam, a volunteer docent here at the Museum. “Wow, I didn’t recognize you with clothes on!” I stopped short and spun around to see my friend and fellow docent, Carl Driever, standing there with an impish grin plastered across his face. Carl continued, “I only meant […]
Think Brazil is all Carnival and beaches? Think again. Here are three things you probably didn’t know about Brazil: MERCHANTS NAMED IT, NOT COLONIAL POWERS When Portugal started to colonize Brazil, they named it Terra de Santa Cruz (Land of the Holy Cross) in their official manuscripts. However, as sailors and merchants began to exploit […]
What better way to celebrate new beginnings than with the gift of … well, giving! HMNS is one of several Houston area non-profits to receive a substantial software and hardware grant from Microsoft as it opens a new location in The Woodlands (the eighth such store to open in Texas). In fact, over $1 million […]
Your eyes are amazing sensory organs. They help you understand shape, color and form, judge distance and alert you to potential dangers. What you perceive as “seeing” is actually the result of a complex series of events that occur between your brain, your eyes and the world around you. Light reflected from an object passes […]
Do you love nature? Do you also love photography? Well then you’re in luck! On August 6, HMNS is excited to host a workshop with nature photographer Amy Shutt. In this exotic photography adventure, students will learn how to get the best nature shots possible when photographing animals, insects and flora. Amy will teach you […]
Saturday’s the official beginning of summer! The day with the most sunlight (in the northern hemisphere), we’re now in the time of short shorts, trips to the beach, ice cream and vacations (and our Mixers & Elixirs Summer Solstice Party). But summer in Houston is unique. We certainly know how to have a good time, […]
Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to go to the United Kingdom and visit the home of the Magna Carta, which is currently on display at HMNS. Located in the town of Hereford (which may sound familiar because of the Hereford breed of cattle that comes from the same area) this 1217 Magna Carta was discovered […]
In 1993, oceanographer William Sager began studying the massive underwater mountain mass about 1,000 miles off the coast of Japan in a mountain range known as the Shatsky Rise. At that time, Sager was with the Texas A&M College of Geosciences. He nicknamed the large mountain mass “Tamu Massif” —“Tamu” for the abbreviation of Texas A&M and […]
For the next several paragraphs, we’ll be talking about a few very special flying creatures (and some others) that are called pollinators — to whom we owe huge thanks for providing much of the food we eat! Without these pollinators to carry their pollen from flower to flower, plants could not form fruits or seeds […]
